Why Do We Need to Teach Vocabulary?

Vocabulary is in the world all around us. It is important to be able to read and know the meaning of words that you encounter. As students enter a classroom, they each bring a different knowledge of vocabulary. Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, authors of Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children, conducted a study, their findings were; “by age 3, when many children enter early preschool, youngsters from well-to-do families have a working vocabulary of 1,116 words, compared to 749 words for children in working-class families and 525 words for children on welfare” (Sparks, 2013). This is only one reason why we need to teach vocabulary, other reasons are:•To close gaps •Success for students on future tests/exams •Beneficial for ELL students •Strengthens comprehension skills •Actively participate in society